Experience a taste of the island right here at home in the Commonwealth.
Ring-tailed lemurs
Photo by Tricia Pearsall
Traveling to Madagascar is no small undertaking—you’re facing a minimum of 20 hours of flying. But, here are a few ways you can experience a taste of the island right here at home in the Commonwealth.
Eat
Malagasy cuisine, French-inspired and reminiscent of Southern cooking, is reasonably simple to prepare at home. Try these dishes in your own kitchen: romazava, a stew made with cubed beef and leafy greens; lasopy, a puréed vegetable soup made with carrots and turnips; or akoho misy sakamalao, sautéed chicken with ginger and garlic.
See
One of the biggest allures of the island is its lemur populations. Take a trip to the Metro Richmond Zoo to visit ring-tailed lemurs, black and white ruffed lemurs, and red ruffed lemurs, all of which are endangered species. Also not too far from home is the Duke Lemur Center in Durham, North Carolina, which houses the largest population of lemurs outside of Madagascar.
Shop
Richmond-based C.F. Sauer produces a vanilla extract made entirely from Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans.Lotus Foods also retails a pink rice grown near Lake Alaotra in Madagascar at grocery stores such as Kroger. Other items to look for include salad spoons made from zebu horn and scarves woven from tapia-leaf silkworms.
This article originally appeared in our February 2019 issue. Click here to read about the full Madagascar experience.
